The present disclosure is related to subterranean formation operations and, more particularly, to subterranean formation operations including polymerizable ionic liquids.
Hydrocarbon-producing wells (e.g., vertical, deviated, and horizontal wells in a subterranean formation) are generally drilled using a drilling fluid pumped down a drill string and through a drill bit attached to the end of the drill string. The drilling fluid serves, among other things, to lubricate and cool the cutting surfaces of the drill bit, transport drill cuttings to the surface, control formation pressure, and maintain well stability. After drilling is complete, a casing string may be placed in the wellbore through which hydrocarbons will eventually flow. An annulus is formed between the casing string and the face of the wellbore, which may be partially or fully filled with cement in order to hold the casing string in place. In some applications, cementing of the annulus is not necessary and the casing string may be entirely uncemented, if included at all.
Stimulation of hydrocarbon-producing wells may be achieved using hydraulic fracturing treatments. In hydraulic fracturing treatments, a viscous treatment fluid may be pumped into a portion of a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure such that the subterranean formation breaks down and one or more fractures are formed. Typically, particulate solids, such as graded sand, are introduced into the subterranean formation in a portion of the treatment fluid and deposited into the fracture. These particulate solids (generally known as “proppant particulates” or, simply, “proppant”) serve to prop the fracture open (e.g., keep the fracture from fully closing) after the hydraulic pressure is removed. By keeping the fracture from fully closing, the proppants aid in forming conductive paths through which fluids, such as hydrocarbons, may flow.
The process of drilling and fracturing a subterranean formation often creates unconsolidated particulates both from the natural abrasion of the formation itself and from any proppant not confined to the fracture (i.e., naturally occurring, placed during an operation, or created during an operation). These unconsolidated particulates may undesirably migrate within the formation. As used herein, the term “unconsolidated particulates” refers to any loose or loosely bonded particulates that may move through the formation with wellbore fluids (e.g., production fluids). Unconsolidated particulates may include, for example, sand, gravel, other particulates, and/or formation fines.
The unconsolidated particulates may migrate out of the subterranean formation and be produced with production fluids. The presence of unconsolidated particulates in a formation during production is undesirable at least because they may damage or abrade producing equipment or reduce well production. For example, unconsolidated particulates may migrate into wellbore casings, perforations, or the interstitial spaces between packed proppants within a fracture and clog or hinder well production.
One method of controlling unconsolidated particulates in subterranean formations is to perform a gravel-packing treatment. In gravel-packing treatments, particulates are deposited into unconsolidated or weakly consolidated formation zones to create a physical barrier to the transport of unconsolidated particulates with produced fluids. Typical gravel-packing treatments include placing a screen in a wellbore and packing the annulus between the screen and the wellbore with particulates of a certain size to prevent the transport of unconsolidated particulates with the produced fluids without compromising the conductivity of the well. Gravel-packing treatments, however, involve placement of additional unconsolidated particulates into the wellbore which may not be adequately maintained, for example, by a screen and which may, therefore, migrate along with the produced fluids.
Another method of controlling unconsolidated particulates is to treat the wellbore with a consolidating agent. In such treatments, a consolidating agent is placed into the wellbore in order to stabilize unconsolidated particulates, such as by contacting unconsolidated particulates and curing into a hardened mass. Typically, the consolidating agent may be used to lock unconsolidated particulates in place and form at least a partially immobilized substance, which may be accomplished by enhancing grain-to-grain or grain-to-formation contact of the unconsolidated particulates.